Newbie loads of questions

A

Alfiedog

Member
Hello there, I’m new to the forum, I’m a middle aged teenager at heart who has fallen for the looks of a Z4 . Im going to look at a Z4 2010 2.5 on Saturday, so I was hoping that you chaps and ladies could be so kind as to give me the heads up on any issues or questions I should be asking when I go and look at the car 🤔 I imagine that cambelt isn’t an issue as I expect it’s a chain but if there any negatives I would be extremely grateful of your guidance 🙏
 
Hello..the 2.5 unit is arguably one of the most reliable..there are no specific issues....common issues are after the event regretting not having certain options..

At that age it could either have quite a few user mods or still be relatively original..

If you post details here and it’s VIN number I’m sure you will be flooded with advice n comments
 
Hello and welcome, I’ve just come out of a 23i this week and the couple of points I’d make are,

Make sure it’s got enough power/go for what you want and you aren’t left hankering after more power as the running cost etc are almost identical for a 30i

Make sure the spec is right for you, heated/MSport seats, parking sensors etc, whatever you see as a must. A big miss for me personally was the basic stereo was poor and had no Bluetooth/phone functionality and it can get quite expensive too bloody expensive to upgrade.

Depending what wheels are on it check for cracks.

The plus is it was very reliable and was great fun and the only issue I had was a broken spring which is common. FSH and evidence of any work carried out is a big plus
 
Pbondar said:
Hello..the 2.5 unit is arguably one of the most reliable..there are no specific issues....common issues are after the event regretting not having certain options..

At that age it could either have quite a few user mods or still be relatively original..

If you post details here and it’s VIN number I’m sure you will be flooded with advice n comments
Click to expand...
Yeah I would have to agree with pbondar.
Ive had mine 2 months and I absolutly love it. I was after a 35i and after looking at 3 that wasnt right i got fed up.
I then seen a 23i, price seemed reasonable etc so I went and brought it.
Only getting it home and having a mess around I realised I was missing some things that were handy to have.
All can be worked around, but at what expense.
It had a BMW professional radio fitted so assumed it was bluetooth as it had a phone button.. Nope... so Ive managed to get it changed by a great guy on here "AnubisZed" to a bluetooth headunit.

It had a car on ramp coming up on occasion, I was told its a self check and that it will be because the service is due soon and needs a std check.
I had it serviced and std check, a day later its back on, so i took it back - turns out the battery was on the way out.
Comfort access is a bonus - this is where you can out the roof down and UP with the key fob. Mine didnt have it, only down. You can get a retro fit for around £300 ish if i remember right.

Mine had parking sensors and heated seats which were easy to spot if fitted.

Enjoy the search, you wont regret it.
 
I've had my 23i for 6 years and its been great and very reliable. Try and get one with as many whistles and bells as possible, don't assume as its a BMW it will have all the toys. On my list were iDrive (sat nav), heated seats and parking sensors, some things can be retro fitted, but even a small thing like a wind deflector can be expensive 2nd hand.
 
Hi, as others have said check that it has all the spec / toys that you need on the mechanical side of things the 23i and 30i are probably the most reliable of all E89s saying that check that there are no oil leaks around the engine.

The N52 is known to suffer from noisy tappets although if a car has this issue it does not cause any harm and in some cases it can be easily fixed and I have not heard of many E89 cars with this issue as I believe BMW ironed out this problem on later N52 engines. Other then that make sure the gears change smoothly and there no weird noises coming from the drivetrain when being driven and makes sure the car doesn't pull either when being driven in a straight line or during braking.

Lastly check the roof goes up and down!

Good luck!
 
Wow that’s great , all praise for the 2.5 🙏 Thanks for all the advice, I will have a close look and check exactly what it has , I know it doesn’t have the sat nav screen that pops up but that doesn’t really bother me , cheers 🥂
 
Apparently it has BMW professional radio cd/mp3 and Bluetooth hands free phone connectivity! I assume that’s good fairly good though I’m not too bothered bout talking to people on the phone when I’m driving, 🤪
 
Alfiedog said:
Apparently it has BMW professional radio cd/mp3 and Bluetooth hands free phone connectivity! I assume that’s good fairly good though I’m not too bothered bout talking to people on the phone when I’m driving, 🤪
Click to expand...

It’s more about the quality and functionality. It allows you to stream music from your phone etc with the better options.

Otherwise you can use a 3rd party bit of kit but speaker/sound quality aren’t great in basic spec as I found out quickly.

As Peter said earlier if you post the VIN number you’ll get comments on the spec of the actual car :thumbsup:
 
My 23i is now 8 year ownership, can't see me getting rid of it soon. Best and most reliable car i have had.
iDrive is a must, it's a nice toy to have and wish i had heated seats.
18 inch wheels give best comfort on non-rft and don't crack.
Check tail lights for condensation, can be sorted.
Make sure roof operates without hesitation and try it engine off, might give idea how good the battery is. For piece of mind unless the age of battery is known i would replace it and the salmon relays.
Only roof problem i have had is the relays and a lose connector.
My roof has been used daily for the last six months and 8 years, so generally reliable.
Doing 5k oil changes, the valve timing likes fresh oil, don't go silly 18k changes, Mobil 1, and only now use Shell unleaded fuel.
If you lift bonnet engine might sound noisy, the injectors click but shouldn't be any other metallic noises.
And should hit 60mph in 2nd gear.
 
in case it is an M Sport, check the active dampers carefully for leaks, especially the front ones

otherwise no regrets on my side at all either, seconding everyone here
 
Apart from 35i / 35is where fitment was quite common variable rate dampers were hardly fitted to any other models..

MSport variants had lower springs with revised normal dampers...obviously a lot more common..
 
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